Friday, October 30, 2009

LDS Preach My Gospel Themed Family Home Evening Ideas

Please feel free to tailor the following Family Home Evenings to your family's needs. I added a small section where I plan on just going around in a circle and each family member says "I can preach the gospel by..." and then sharing a way to do so based on the concept learned that night.

Also, I print these out and glue them to the front of file folders. I add anything I need to the inside of the folder and it makes it handy for a quick on the spot FHE or Sunday activity.

Fishers of Men

Purpose: Learning about the qualities of the Savior and finding them in my own life.

Display GAK 209 Calling of the Fisherman

Scripture: “At the beginning of His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ walked along the shore of the sea of Galilee and called out to two fisherman, Peter and Andrew. “Follow me,” He said, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17) “The Lord has also called you to His work, and He invites you to follow Him. The invitation to follow Christ is an invitation to follow His example and to become like Him.” (p. 115 PMG)

Song: Called to Serve (p.249 Hymns)

Have paper phones or a cell phone for the children to hold up on the word “Called”. Just like the phone, will we answer Heavenly Father’s call to us?

Scripture: 3 Nephi 27:27

Quote: “The Savior has shown the way. He has set the perfect example, and He commands us to become as He is. Learn of Him and seek to incorporate His attributes into your life. Through the power of His Atonement, you can achieve this goal and lead others to achieve it also.” (p. 115 PMG)

Activity: Make 9 paper fish. Using the activity on p. 126 PMG label the 9 fish according to the attributes listed i.e. Faith, Hope, Charity and Love, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, and Obedience. Put up a small sheet and using a fishing pole (stick with a string and clothespin attached) go fishing for Christ like qualities. When a fish is drawn, ask a question under that attribute found from p. 126. For example, Johnny got the faith fish. Ask, “Do you believe in Christ and accept Him as your Savior?”

Quote: The scriptures describe Christlike attributes that are essential for you to eventually develop as a missionary and throughout your life… Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They come as you use your agency righteously.” (p. 115 PMG)

Demonstration: Have a child walk across the room. Now ask them to come back and hold on to their leg and don’t let go. Can they walk across the room? This is what an anchor does. It holds something down firmly and won’t let it move.

Quote: “President James E. Faust taught: “Hope is the anchor of our souls… Hope is trust in God’s promises, faith that if we act now, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in the future… The unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from death.” (“Hope, an Anchor of the Soul,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 59-60)

Demonstration: Go outside and try to pull a large tree out of place. Why can’t you move it? What is the anchor of the tree? The roots!!

Activity: Have a drawing of a large tree with 6-10 removable roots. Have children come up to the tree’s anchors/roots and answer questions about Hope. Possible questions could include:

What is the opposite of Hope?

When you feel sad or discouraged, what can you have hope in?

Who do we hope to live eternally with in the celestial kingdom ?

How does Jesus Christ give us hope?

Name 3 things you hope for another person in our family.

Possible super way awesome scriptures to look up and add to the roots:

Moroni 7:40-48

Ether 12:4

D&C 138:14

Alma 32: 37-38, 41-42

Concluding Scripture and Quote: Proverbs 12: 3 “A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.” When we are firm in hope, we can share that with others. “Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who, for whatever reason, have ‘moved away from the hope of the gospel’ (Col. 1:23). Let us reach to lift hands which hand hopelessly down.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell (p. 117 PMG)

I can preach the gospel by… (review thoughts of FHE)

Bear Testimony

Possible Ending Song: Popcorn Popping (p. 242 CS)

Reading the Book of Mormon

Purpose: How to understand what we read in the Book of Mormon.

Song: Book of Mormon Stories (p. 118 CS)

Quote: “Please do not take the Book of Mormon for granted. Pray for a vision of how the Book of Mormon can be used more effectively in your mission. I promise that as you do so, your mind will be enlightened with the direction that you should take.” Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (p. 110 PMG)

Our mission is life! “Those who do not read or understand the Book of Mormon will have difficulty receiving a witness that it is true.” (p.110 PMG)

Activity: Spray paint some small round cardboard circles. These will be our golden plates. On the golden plates have one of the following attached to each plate:

Pick a page! Any page! Point to a scripture and read together! “As you read together, pray that the Holy Ghost will testify to the investigators (or our family J) that the Book of Mormon is true.” (p. 110 PMG)

Find the title page. What is this?

Find the last 2 paragraphs of the introduction. What do these words say?

How does Moroni 10:3-5 help me understand how to gain a testimony?

Find a chapter heading.

Find a foot note.

How do we look up a scripture?

Can you think of a principle or doctrine using words or phrases from a Book of Mormon prophet?

If we don’t know the meaning of a certain word, what can we do?

What does it mean to “liken the scriptures”? (“To ‘liken’ is to create a mental bridge between understanding the doctrine and living the doctrine.” p.110 PMG)

Have the golden plates hidden throughout the room, let the children find them and answer questions.

Song: The Golden Plates (p. 86b CS)

Ending Quote: “The Book of Mormon is a powerful resource in conversion. Use it as your main source for teaching restored truth.” (p. 111 PMG)

I can preach the gospel by… (review thoughts of FHE)

Bear Testimony

As a side note: PMG stands for Preach My Gospel

CS stands for Children's Songbook

I will make sure that Preach My Gospel is used to read quotes from. I want my children to see that this book is important in our home.

8 comments
:

Thank you for sharing your great FHE Ideas. I have been wondering how I could use this book more with my 5 year old twins and almost 2 year old-BOYS. I love it and I can't wait to try it tonight. Our home is a Missionary Training Center-and your willingness to share will help us reach our goal.

A friend of mine shared this website today that is intended for families grieving over the loss of a child. An LDS family that lost their almost 2 year daughter started the website. There is a forum for families that are grieving to share their stories, and it has a cause of raising donations to give to families that can't afford headstones.

I just thought you might like to know about a site with a positive place to grieve.

Thank you for the great ideas. My husband and I were just talking about ways to incorporate the manual into our Family Home Evening's, and I plan on doing the Book of Mormon idea tomorrow night.

I just want to thank you for your website. It amazes me that you take the time to do this each month and help guide those of us who need a little inspiration. I've been a member of our Ward's Primary Presidency since April 2008, and I have used several of your ideas since that time (however, I do try and make it personal for our Primary, just as you encourage us to do).

I also wish to offer my condolences for the loss of your son. I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through. You are so strong. I know that you will be blessed because of your strength, and I want you to know what an incredible example you are to so many of us that know you through this blog.

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1 John 3:18

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

My brothers and sisters, I love you. I am not much. Heavenly Father gives me thoughts and ideas and I share in hopes that you will know how much I love you and all the children out there. Our lives are nothing without Christ, the Savior of the world. I hope that through this blog, my saying I love you isn't just words, but a meager deed to prove it's truth.

I DO NOT SPEAK OFFICIALLY FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS.

About Me

I love my Redeemer Jesus Christ. He is my Savior. I do everything I do to show my love for Him. I'm very humbled by all the people coming to visit my blog! Thank you for your time. I have a deep love for children, and have my entire life. All these ideas are inspiration from our Heavenly Father and I'm grateful to Him for His divine help! I firmly believe in following the guidelines given to us in manuals and the Sharing Time and Sacrament Meeting Outline.
I hope that this can be of help to you! These are "starting points" only. Please feel free to comment anytime or further instruct me. I'm always teachable!